Gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus.



D. CARTER.

GAS LIGHTING AND EXT INGUISHINQAPPARATUS APPLICATION FILED 05c. 22. l9l6.

1 ,27 1 ,274. Patented Jul 2, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L rm: IvoRms Fzrsns co. Prion-Limo WASHING mu, 0. c.

D. CARTER. GAS LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22. {916- Patented July 2, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

an n n n n n M nnnnrfnnn pilot .pipe (1 and'pilot burherefor-igniting thegas at the burnera, the stop-cock extend- I ing through the casing f, and beingpro vided with an arm g, by which it is'turned to respectively open and close the passage through the gas" piper k 1 U TED STATES PATENT OFFICE. ;5

DANIEL CARTER, oF ToRoNTo, onran o, oAivAnA, AssIe1 \ToR or ONE-HALF To'JAMEs 'D B. MONEICE, or 'ronoiv'ro, o v rAnIo, CANADA.

GAS LIGHTING; AND nxrmeursnme. APPARATUS.

f Specificationof Iietters latentg I Patented uly 1 91 8.

, Application filed December 22, 1916. Serial No. 138,481.

Tov all whom ii may concern: f 7 Be it known that I, DANIEL CARTER, of the city of Toronto, in the county ofvYork and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented'certain new and useful Iniprovements in Gas Lighting and Extinguishing Apparatus; andI hereby. declare that the following is a full, clear, andiexaot description of the same.

This invention relates to. an apparatusby which the stop-cock of a gas light fixture may be opened and closed, andthe object of the invention isto so constructand arrange this apparatus that. the gas can be lighted 7 and extinguished at will, and. the lapse of time for the extinguishingof the lightpredetermined.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a, sectional elevational view of the apparatus, showing the position of the parts when the stopcock controlling the flow of gas to the burner of the light fixture is closed- Fig; 1 is a sii'nilar View, showing the position of the parts'when the stop-cock is open. Fig. 2 is an elevational; view, looking at the parts from the'oppositeside to Figs..1- and 1*. Fig. 3 is a modification of the, construction shown in Figs. land .2. Fig. 4 is adetail view oixthe air pump." Fig. 5, is a detailview oftheair chest.- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the ratchet wheel shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the actuator shown in Fig. 2.; Fig. 8 is a detail view of thepawl, shown in Fig. 2. .Fig. 9 is a detail View of the inlet port for the air cylinder, showing. it: provided with ascheck' valve. g

10 is aif ragmentaryview of the lever: and ratchet wheel shown in Figs. 1 and 2. }.The pipe 1), leading to the; burnera, is fitted with the usuali-rockin-gor rotary stopcock .0, controllingthe flow of gas through thepipesto the burner,and with the usualexhaust port. 1 In Figs. 1,2 and. 3, the inlet port is shown to extend through the cylinder head j, and in Figs. 1 and 2 the exhaust port is shown to extend from the nipple k, and in Fig. 3 to extend through the side'iof the air cylinder adjacent to the cylinder head j,- and-in both cases, the exhaust port ispro vided with an adjustable capqlfby' which the escape oflair through it may be regulated, but the location of theinletand ex haust ports, and the; means 'forthe regulation of the latter, may-be varied within the scopeof the claims. 1. i

Within the air cylinder 2' is a piston m,

having a piston rod m,passing throughthe cylinder head j, and coiled on the piston rod m, between the piston m and. the cylinder head j, is a spring a, to press the piston in the direction of the cylinder heady.

. In the wall of the air cylinder, adjacent to the cylinder heady" is a relief port- 0, through which the air in the cylinder, be-- tween the piston and cylinder head j, may escape, when the piston is moving, from its starting position adjacent to the cylinder head 1', to the completion" of its stroke in' the direction of the cylinder head j; and

about the middle of the cylinder wall is a relief port 0 to relieve the pressure in the air cylinder between the piston and cylinder head j when its stroke in said direction is completed.

At the free end of the-piston rod m"-is'-a slotted knuckle mCby which the arm 9 is loosely: connected with the piston rod, and

connected with the} arm' 9 and withthe' burneris a spring-p, by which the arm is tensioned,to close the valve and maintain-it l j, in its closed pos'i'tion'when the piston rod is i retracted within S the air cylinder.

Connected with the nipple is and with" a hollowconnection g of} the air chest 9 is an air duct 9, and-within the'air chest gis a-spring pressed valve r,controllingthe passage therefromto theair duct; The valve; 7' normally closesthe passage through the I hollow connection; and is opened by fa r -"plunger 'r" -}so-{th'at-- the airwithin the a ir (l amped on the gasplpe is the bracket 7b of? an air cylinder 2', consistingof a-cylinderwall /1 and cylinder heads and the air, cylin derhaving, a hollow'n-ipple informing an" air: inlet port, and, a hollownipple -Z forming an chest 9 may-pass through theair ductqto the air cylinder hand connected with the air chest 9 is an air "pump 15, by which com? pressed air niaybe forced ln'to thefair chest.

Valve n from its seat,theair.pump may be operated to compress the air in the air chest and this air passes from the air chest into the duct 9 and air cylinder i, and forces the piston'm' toward the cylinder head j, This .movement of the piston compresses the spring 12 and efiects the outstroke ofthe piston rod m, which, througlrits"knuckle connection with the arm 9 turns the stopcock'c'to open the passage through the gas pipe to the burner. ,i

' The piston m, under the pressure of the air in the cylinder between it and the cylinder -he'adj, moves to the limit of "its stroke in thedirection of the cylinder head 9', and whenit passes the reliefport othe compressed air in the; cylinder between it and the cylinder head j-begins to escape through the port 0 thus partly relieving the'pressure onthe piston.- q v "WV-hen the operation of the air pump cea'ses,'the plunger 1" is releasedg a'ndthe valve 1, underthe influence of its spring r then closes against its seat*and shuts off communication between the air duct g and the air chest, the compressed: air"intheair cylinder between the piston-and the cylinder head 9' continuing to escape through'the port 0 until the pressure on the piston and the valve 1" is fullyirelieved. When this'pressure is relieved, the piston m automatically reverses its movement, under the influence of the spring n,:and travels in the direction of the piston head 7', until it covers the relief port 0, when its further movement' in that direction is. resisted, either by the creation of the air check in the cylinder, between the piston and the cylinder head y', orby mechanical means hereinafter described, the

spring 0 being of sufficient tension to hold cover the reliefc'po'rt before'movement lisimparted tothe arm 19 and-thestop cock 0. In Fig. the air chest 9 is shown to be provided, fwit-h --several hollow connections ing controlled bya springapressed val ve'y' actuated by a plunger eand :with, a relief port's normallyclosed by a valves,- opened; by a plunger 8'. By-opening the valve s, the air pump may be reversed wi-thout;cre-- ating suction in the chest, thus avoiding -for the .ductsg of a corresponding"num--, ber of lighting fixtures each "COIIBGCEIOH leeany possibility of such operation of the air pump disturbing any previously operated piston or pistons, the advantage of this construction being that the stop-cocks, of any or'all of the lighting'fixtures, may beselectively opened "and closed at will from a central station.

To close'the stop-cock 0, by the action or the-air pump, the plunger r is operatedto open the valve 1', which has the immediate effector eliminating the air check in the air cylinder, the action of the pump then being reversed to exhaust the airiironi the duct and the air cylinder, and create sullicient suction therein to move the piston toward the cylinder head 7', this suction being assisted by the spring a, which pressesthe piston m in the direction of the cylinder head j, until the piston completes its movement in that'direction. Thiscauses the instroke of the piston rod and brings the knuckle m into operative relation with the arm 9 for the closing movement of the stopcock, this closing movement of the stopcock being assured by the spring'p, which-not only mainta-ins the valve in its closed position, but also assists its closing movement owing to thelmuckle slot 6.

In Fig. 3, the piston rod m is shown to be-provided with a loosely fitted collar u, slidable axially of the piston rod, and connected with the-collar u is an actuator, comprising a crank arm u, one member of whichextends horizontally across the cylinder head j, and the other member of which extends vertically from the horizontal memberand :is providedwith a detent u. EX- tendlng across the cylinder-head j is a detentplate o,slotted L t '0" for the piston rod on and at o for the crank arm u. Gonnecting the detent plate 'v to the air cylinder 2 is spring arm "to, which permits of a yielding movement of the detent plate '0 in a direction from and toward the cylinder head jfl'and adjustablysecured to the detent plate 1/ is a catch w to be engaged by the detentu.

The crankarm to is connected by a spring to" to some convenient or appropriate part of the airwcylinder i, the purpose of the spring-being to normally hold the arm and collar in a retracted position, and, attached tothe crank arm :20 is apull chain (c bv which the crank arm'u and collar @1- may bedrawndownward. -During the down ward movement of these parts the collar it engages the knuckle m and causes the downward or e-outstroke movement of the piston rod m with it, until the piston m- 18 arrestedby the contraction of'the'spring n, thepiston rod wt being provided with a catchacf toengage the detent plate 1) and lar 11511, which, during-e such. movemen gaged from the detent plate either by the manipulation of the pull chain or the re versal of the operation of the air pump. 7 When the strain on the pull chain 00 is released, the spring w returns the crank arm u to its retracted position so that the detent u will engage the catch 1w on the next downward movement of the crank arm, the collar u,-during the retraction sliding freely upward on thepiston rod, and the piston under the influence of the spring a moving toward the cylinder head j until it covers the relief port 0. During the outstroke of the piston rod mthe stopcock c is turned, by-the engagement of the knuckle m with the arm 9-, to open the passage through the gas pipe I to the burner a, and is held open while the piston rod m remains 'at I the limit of its outstroke. The gas then flows through the gas pipe to the burner and is ignited by the light from the pilot burner e, and continuesburning while the stop-cock remains open. 5 V p j When it is desired to close the stop-cock through the agency ofthe pull chain 11, the latter is drawn downward, until the detent u engages the catch w, and bends the dc tent plate 1; into a slightly inclined position,

thus releasing the detent plate from the catch 0; so that the piston rod Willbe free to start its instroke action, under the in fluence of the spring a, when the strain on the pull chain a2 is released, the collar u and the crank arm a then returning under theinfluence of the spring w" to their normal position. i r e The instroke of the piston rod is effected by the pressure of the spring 41 against the piston m butthe action of this spring is resisted by the air check between'the piston and the cylinder head 7', until the air forming the check isforced out through the exhaust port Z. hen-the air pump t is employed to cause the outstroke of the piston.

rod",- the latter freelyslides through thecol- 're mains in its normal position. When the pis tonrod'is at the limit ofits outstroke, the catch- 20 engages, as in the former case,

with the detent plateuand is held, by such engagement, in its outstrokeflposition until itis releasedf either through the agency of the pull chainm or 'by 'thejoperatio r of the air, pump t." In 7 the latter icase, v the plunger v -is pressed toaopen the valver, and-thus relieve the check "in the cylinder,

thefair pump t'is then reversed ,to create a suficient suction'in the air-ductjand cylinderj to draw the piston in the direction ofthe cyleinder head fthus disengagingthe catch from-the detentgplate; the catch being so formed that it will permit of suchdisen gagement. i

In Figsl -and'2the stop-cockc1s extended beyond both sides of the casing f,

air, pump, as above described and secured to it, in addition to the arm 9, is a ratchet wheel 3 having a ratchet tooth 3 .7 The ratchet wheel turns with the stopcock, and fastened to. the casing 7" isafspring pawl 3 which engages with the tooth 3/ and prevents the reverse rotation of the ratchet Wheel and the stopcock, while he 7 cockmay be manually actuated and an oi'fset-z normally engaging the pawly and in contact therewith by a tension spring a, which presses the hub 2 into contact with the ratchet wheel 3 V The operation of the air pump t causes the outstroke movement of the piston rod and theturning of the stop-cock c to open the passage through the pipe I) to the burner as above described, and as the ratchet wheel y turns in unison with the stop-cock, this will bring the ratchet toothy into engagement with the spring pawl y to hold the valve open; but no corresponding movement of the lever z and hub a will occur as the lever is maintained in its normal position by thetension spring a, which is so ar ranged as to not only press it against the ratchet wheel but also to hold it inoperative as shown in full lines in Fig'.,1"-, with the ofiset ein contact with the pawl y; 1 e p The engagement of the ratchet tooth 3/ with the pawl 3 holds the piston and rod in their outstroke position, and the'stopcock open, until the pawl y is released from the ratchet tooth The release of the pawl y from the ratchet tooth y maybe effected either by a pull chain, connected with the lever-z or by the reverseJoperation of the I p In thecase of the-pull chain, the lever and hubs are turned until the ofiset 2 comes into contact with the ;=paw1 and presses it away from the ratchet tooth y, the piston rod and piss ton,v; u'n der the influence of the spring a, then being free to move -in th'e direction of the cylinderrhead j, and close the stop-cock as above described, when-the strain on the pul-lv chain is released; Thistturning movelinentlof the levers and the llllbfZ brings the o fiset-above the top of the pawl 2 f which", as

shown in Fig; 8 has an'zinclined, side a?" in;

"the path: Qr., rh ,;qaset so that, fwhen the leyerfand-hub reverse their movement, under the influence of thetension,spring, the en gagement of the Tofi'set withgthis' inclined side will press the .hubz'laterally from the ratchetwheel and enable the offsetto clear stop-cock, 0, thelever is turned by the pull chain from the position-shown in full lines inl ig. l to the P08113101 SllOWIl-lIr-ClOttQCl lines in the same figure. "This turning movement oi theelever and hub brings a.

clutch member 0 on the hube into engagement with a clutchmember e on-the'ratchet wheel y, causing the turning movement of the ratchet wheel and stop-cock, in unison with that of the hub 2, until the stop-cock is fully opened, the ratchet-tooth y' then being engaged by the pawl y. Theturning of the stop-cock moves with it the arm g, which operating in the slotted knuckle m draws the piston rod to thelimit of its outstroke, and the piston to the=limit of its movement in the direction of the cylinder head 7', as above described. hen the strain on the pull chain at isreleasechthe lever .2 and hub return totheirnorn'ial position, under the influence of the tension spring a, as previously described in connec tion with the closing of the stop-cock. V hen the pull chainis operated to releasc the pawl from the instrok e of the-piston-rod, the spring at, presses the piston toward the cylinder heady', the action .ofthe spring being resisted by the air check within the air cylinder. This air check, owingto the'exhaust port being regulable through the adjustment of the cap Z or other equivalent mechanical means, -will predetermine the length of time required for the closingmovement of the stop-cock. Thus it is possible for a person desiring to extinguish thelight by the pull chain to leavethe-premises be fore the illumination ceases.

The detent pawl y is formed withan ofi set f against which the ratchettooth y engages when the stop-cock is open, theofl set f being slightly inclined outwardly-from v the tooth, and the tension of the detent pawl y being sufiicient to continually engage the ratchet tooth y and hold the stop-cock open until released from the ratchettooth,

either manually, by the use of; the pull chain, as above'described, or through j the 55 action of the air pump lNhen theiair pump is employed to release the ratchet tooth from the pawl y, its action is reversed when the .plunger r hasbeen pressed to open the valve 0*, the pressure, of the air check in the air cylinder then being rel eve'd' and a sufficient suctioncreatedin the, air duct and cylinder to ;draw the piston in the direction of the cylinder; head j, and bring the slotted knuckle m; into engagement.

withthe arm 9, during the corresponding instroke of the .piston rod, this suction applying suflicient :force to the arm g and stop cock to cause the ratchet "tooth, by its engagement with the inclined offset f, to spring the pawl 3 free from engagement with it. it 7 Should it be desired to'dispense with the use of the airpump and the air ductfil orthe operation of the apparatus andto rely solely upon the use of the pull chain for the actuation of the partsythe inlet port lo will, in

that case, be provided witha check valve 70", which willperinit of the admission of air;

through the inlet port to -the air cylinder and prevent its escape therefrom.

"In theuse of-the apparatusthe gas at the burner of the gas light fixture can be' instantly ignited and extinguished from any station with which the air duct of such gas light fixture is c0nnected,-thus renderingit possible to control the illumination diurnished by the gas light fixture at any distance therefrom. hen an actuator such as the pull chain and ratchet arrangement, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or the pullchain,

crank arm, detent plate, and detent, shown in Fig. 3 is employed to turn the stop-cock, the can be manually ignited and extinguished by the operation'of such actuator, and, the air checkin the air cylinder, the escape of which is regulablethrough the exhaust port, will determine the length of time elapsing between the extinguishing operation of the actuator and the closing of the stop-cock. 1

"From the foregoing description of the construction and operation of the apparatus,-

it can be ascertained; that the air cylinder, with its inlet, exhaust and relief ports, and the spring pressed piston and rod constitute an air check controlling the action of the stop-cock, that the air pump with its air duct, whether employed independently of, when used with a single gas light fixture, or, in conjunction with an air chest, having valve controlled connections for several gas light fixtures; constitute a pneumatic actuator for the air check; that the spring ten sioned ratchet and-lever inechanism'shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or the spring tensioned crank arm and collarshown inF gifi; con? stitute a mechanical actuator for the air check; and that the air check may be operated by either the pneumatidor mechanical actuator, and that such operation of the-air check may be reversed at will by the other actuator, and. from the foregoingdescrip tion it will also be ascertainedthat the de tails of the construction and operation of the parts maybe varied within the. scope or the claims without departing from theessential principles of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

whatI claim as new and desire to Letters Patent is paratus, including a gas burner and a stopcock governingthe flowof gas thereto, an

aircheck controlling the movement of the stop-cock, said air check comprlsmg a piston, a cylinder for said piston having a reher port through which the an- 111 the cyhnder between the piston and cylinder head "11121:? escape during the outstroke of the piston, and a relief port interjacent the cylinder heads to partly relieve the pressure in the cylinder between the piston and the opposite cylinder headfor a partial inst-roke of the piston, and operating means for'the stop-cock actuated'by the piston.

2. In a gas lightingand extinguishing apparatus, a controlling means, for the stopcock of a gas burner, comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, apiston rod for thepiston extending beyond the cylinder to actuate the stop-cock, said cylinder having a relief port through which the air in the cylinder, be tween the piston and cylinder head, may escape during the outstroke of the piston, and a relief port interjacent the cylinder heads to partly relieve the pressure in the cylinders between the piston and opposite cylinder head for a partial instroke of the piston, and means for actuating the piston.

3. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, comprising a gas burner and a stop cock therefor, the combination of an air cylinder, a piston therein controlling the movement of the stop cook, a spring causing the movement of the piston in one direction, pneumatic means connected with the air cylinder for creating pressure therein to move the piston in the opposite direction, and means preventing the movement of the piston under the influence of the spring until a subsequent operation of the pneumatic means.

4. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, comprising a gas burner and a stop cock therefor, the combination of an air cylinder, a piston therein controlling the movement of the stop cook, a spring causing the movement of the piston in one direction, pneumatic means connected with the air cylinder causing the movement of the piston in the opposite direction, and a detent to hold the stop cock in open position rendered operative by the action of the piston to open the stop cock, and rendered inoperative by the action of the pneumatic means.

5. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, comprising a gas burner and a stop cock therefor, the combination of an air cylinder having inlet and relief ports, a piston movable within the cylinder controlling the opening and closing movements of the stop cock, means for actuating the piston, and detent means to hold the stop cock inopen posltlon releasedby a partial actuation of the piston whenpositioned to hold the stop cock open.

6. In agas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, comprising a gas burner and a stop cock therefor, the combination of an air cylinder, a spring-pressed piston within the air cylinder actuating the stop cock, pneu- 'matic means connected with theair cylinder causing one movement of the piston and controlling its other movement for the opening and closing of the stop cock, detent means preventing the reverse movement of I the piston, and means for releasing the detent means for the closing of the stop cock. 7. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, including a gas burner, a stop-cock therefor, and an arm for the stop-cock, by which it is turned to govern the flow of gas to the gas burner, the combination of an air cylinder having inlet and relief ports, a piston within the air cylinder, means for creating pressure within the air cylinder for one movement of the piston, a spring efi'ecting the opposite movement of the piston, and means actuated by the piston for moving the arm and stop-cock.

8. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, a gas burner, a stop-cock therefor, an arm for the stop-cock, by which it is turned to control the flow of gas to the gas burner, an air cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod for the piston actuating said arm, pneumatic means connected with the air cylinder, forcing pressure into the cylinder to eflect the action of the piston for onemovement of the stop-cock, a spring for the piston efl-ecting its opposite movement for the other movement of the stop-cock, and detent means to hold the stop-cock in open position, released by a partial actuation of the piston when positioned to hold the stopcock open.

9. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, the combinationof a gas burner, a stop cock therefor, an air cylinder, a piston within the air cylinder, a piston rod for the piston, an arm for the stop cock connected with the piston rod whereby the movement of the piston may open and close the stop cock, means connected with the cylinder for causing one movement of the piston, a spring within the cylinder for causing its other movement, and a releasable detent for holdingthe stop cock in openposition.

10. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, including a gas burner, a stopcock therefor, and an arm for the stop-cock,

a piston within the air cylinder, means for creating pressure within the air cylinder for pressed piston Within the air cylinder, a pis- "one movement of the piston, a spring effecting the opposite movement of the piston, and means actuated by the piston for movin the arm and stop-cock, and detent meansto 101d the stock-cock in open position, released by a partial actuation of the piston When positioned to hold the stop-cock open.

11. In a gas lighting and extinguishing apparatus, the combination of an air cylinder having inlet and relief ports, a springton rod for the piston, a detent for holding the piston rod at the limit of its outstroke, pneumatic means for creating and relieving pressure in the air cylinder for the operation of the piston, and mechanical means for actuating the piston, either of which may be used independently of the other to efiect the movementof the piston and releasethe detent means.

12. A gas hghtlng and extingulshing apparatus, comprising an a r cylinder, having inletiand relief ports, a spring pressed pis creating pressure and suction in the air cylinder an'dreleasing the detent means for the instroke of the piston and rod. Toronto, December 5th, 1916.

DANIEL CARTER.

Signed in the presence of ELSLE WHITEH'EAD, CHAS. H. Rrorms.

Copies of this patent may beob tained'for fiyie jce nts each, by addressing the 0omm1ssioner of Iatents,

Wa hington, H-Q 

